The Delta Pacers ran out of thrilling finishes in their bid to get back to the provincials for the first time in 13 years.
The senior boys basketball team saw its season end Friday night with a 78-68 loss to the host Steveston-London Sharks at the South Fraser AAA Championships. The third place game was for the final spot at this week’s B.C. AAA Championships at the Langley Events Centre (LEC) — the showcase tournament the Ladner school has advanced to just twice (1993 and 2010) in the last 40 years.
The Pacers looked like they just might be a team of destiny following a wild month of games that typically went down to the wire and they prevailed in most of them.
That included key league wins over Grandview, Salish and South Delta to secure second spot in the Sur-Del League with a 6-1 record.
The drama continued at the South Frasers where Delta led eventual runner-up MacNeill much of the way before falling 76-72 in the quarter-finals.
The Pacers then battled their way through the consolation bracket with come-from-behind wins over Grandview (72-68) and South Delta (60-58) to advance to the third place game. Standout Grade 12 point guard and eventual tournament all-star Tyler Jones poured in 38 points against Grandview thanks to 8-for-13 shooting from three-point range.
The Sharks have been in the provincial rankings all season but have been hit with some key injuries down the stretch that put their once almost certain trip to the LEC in jeopardy.
The Pacers seemed like they were going to take advantage of their shorthanded opponent when they jumped out to a 27-16 second quarter lead thanks to the sizzling shooting of Lucas Kosa. The Grade 11 had 16 points in the first quarter alone and finished with 41 on the night.
However, the early momentum was lost when Kosa and Jones took turns on the bench for needed rest as the team was playing its fourth game in as many nights.
The Sharks took advantage to storm back for a 35-34 lead at the break and would never trail again. Delta’s last hope was when a Kosa three-pointer cut the lead to 63-58 with 4:06 to go but the hosts responded with a 6-0 run to seal the win.
“The boys have lots to be proud about this season. Winning back the Murray/Stebbings Cup and also ending (our rival) South Delta’s season are moments they can cherish forever,” said DSS head coach Dave Jones. “The ability for our players to be immune to pressure, to turn it on when it matters most, to think like coaches on the floor and to close out games with passion is a testament to their competitiveness, heart and drive.
“The team's success and number of close games brought back the fans - not only students, but alumni, coaches from other DSS teams and DSS parents who don't even have kids on the team. It was really great to see the gym full again.”
Jones was also quick to praise assistant coach Steve Chong — another parent volunteer who Jones has worked with on-and-off dating back to the days when their sons were in the Steve Nash basketball program. Chong’s wife Cindy also recorded every game that was available to watch on YouTube soon after.
The team also received valuable help from former DSS standout Will Khuu who spent many hours at his former school working with players.
